Coach Joe Callero has been coaching basketball for over 33 years. He has developed student-athletes and revitalized programs at all levels; from high school to the Pac 12. As the head coach of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (2009-2019), Coach Callero made history by recruiting and coaching future NBA player David Nwaba and leading his team to a first round win at the 2014 NCAA tournament.
They also produced the program's first win against a ranked opponent with a 70-68 triumph at No. 11 UCLA in 2012. Many highlights of the 2011-12 year were beating USC and Fresno for the first time in 41 years, tying the NCAA record for 11 3-pt shots in a row, and being a top 25 defensive team in the nation all while the team's student-athletes averaged a 3.0 GPA.
Prior to coaching the Cal Poly Mustangs, he was the head coach of the Seattle University Redhawks for eight seasons from 2001-2009, posting four consecutive winning seasons for the first time in 36 years and leading the Redhawks back to Division I.
From 1999-2001, Callero guided the University of Puget Sound to the first winning season in 9 years. He also led Washington State's Highline Community College team to back-to-back NWAACC championships in 1997 and 1998 earning honors as the Northwest Division Coach of the Year both seasons. During this time at Highline, he coached Brian Scalabrine who went on to play for the New Jersey Nets, Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls. He then coached him as an assistant at the University of Southern California from 1998-99.
A graduate of Central Washington University, Callero helped guide the Wildcats to NAIA national tournament appearances in his two seasons at the university as the team captain and received his bachelor's degree in psychology in 1986. He received his master's degree in education (post-secondary counseling) from Seattle University in 1991.
After participating in several international basketball team tours and seeing the impact on the personal growth of his players, Coach Callero is now enjoying directing and curating unique basketball and international experiences for players and their supporters. He enjoys sharing his philosophy of strong competitiveness, teaching discipline, building college level skills, creating positive energy, and having fun through leading basketball tours and traveling the world. He is one of 16 children and lives in Tacoma, WA with his wife of 27 years, Erika, and they have a daughter Malia.